This, via Morning Score, has the potential to make the Virginia governor an even more appealing prospect for the 2012 ticket:

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell raised $1.53 million for his Opportunity Virginia PAC in the second quarter of the year, finishing June with nearly $3 million stockpiled for the off-year elections in his home state. The Virginia legislative elections are expected to feature a pitched battle for control of the state Senate: Democrats currently hold 22 of the chamber's 40 seats. If the Republicans flipped control, it would be the second time since Reconstruction that the state had a GOP governor and an all-Republican legislature – potentially giving McDonnell an extraordinarily strong hand for the second half of his term.

Phil Cox, McDonnell's senior political adviser, predicted the governor's fundraising would help him lead the Virginia GOP into the fall: “This strong continued financial support is reflective of Governor McDonnell’s strong record of results: expanding jobs and opportunity; reducing the size of government; and making historic investments in transportation and higher education. The strong financial position of the Governor’s PAC will allow him to support candidates this fall for the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate who support his positive jobs and opportunity agenda.”

As we've noted here before, McDonnell is already having a very good 2011. Winning big in the state legislative elections this fall would put him in a position to rack up more big policy wins next spring, just in time for the 2012 general election. And as the vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, McDonnell could also end up in a position of greater public prominence if the current RGA chairman, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, takes the plunge into the presidential race.